Philadelphia Eagles: Don’t mess this Adoree’ Jackson visit up
There is a commonly held belief that free agents don’t want to come to the Philadelphia Eagles, at least not as presently constructed.
Now, theoretically, that idea has been mildly disproven, as Anthony Harris, the best free safety on the open market, opted to join the Eagles and JuJu Smith-Schuster’s camp reached out to Philly about a potential deal, but those were very specific cases.
Of the free agents many initially assumed/reported would have interest in the Eagles – players like John Johnson III, Anthony Walker, and Marlon Mack – none of them even opted to give the Birds a visit, instead signing deals of varying sizes with teams with better initial outlooks in 2021.
Sidebar: Who’d have ever thought in 2018 that the Colts and Browns, who finished out the season with a combined record of 4-28, would be more attractive free agency destinations than the reigning Super Bowl Champions? The NFL changes in a hurry, folks.
But what if I were to tell you there’s a really good free agent at a position of need who actually likes the Eagles in the same way you and I do? What if I were to tell you he already agreed to a visit with the Eagles, even after being heavily courted by the New York Giants, who have more money to spend and an easier outlook for the forthcoming season?
Howie Roseman, you have a visit with Adoree’ Jackson on the books; don’t mess it up.
The Philadelphia Eagles can’t let Adoree’ Jackson leave… if he shows up.
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Adoree’ Jackson is from Belleville, Illinois. He went to High School in Gardenia, played his college ball at USC, and, to my knowledge, has never stepped foot in the City of Brotherly Love, not to play a football game, at least.
So, with that in mind, why was he tweeting “EAGLES BBY!!!” and “Man ol man I love Philly” like a passionate horse carriage driver between stops at La Colombe and Wendys to pick up a free frosty? Could he be a… fan?
For what it’s worth, actual members of the Eagles took notice of these tweets too and are attempting to sway away Adoree’ from those dastardly dudes up I-95.
That’s right, while the New York Giants are throwing Jabrill Peppers, Saquon Barkley, and former teammate Logan Ryan at the ex-Tennessee Titan, Darius Slay, Shaun Bradley, and Rodney McLeod have taken it upon themselves to tweet at Jackson in the hopes of getting him in a midnight green jersey, with more offline work presumably going down behind the scenes.
So, just to reiterate, Jackson is, for some reason, at least a little bit of an Eagles fan, has the support of his potential teammates, and booked a visit with the team despite their current situation. If Howie Roseman gets Jackson in the building, which isn’t a guarantee, considering the deck stacked against him, he has to do everything in his power not to let him leave without a contract.
If Jackson wants a long-term deal? Give it to him. If Jackson wants the number 25? Give it to him. Heck, if Jackson wants to be the Eagles’ primary kick/punt returner and play a half dozen snaps at wide receiver each game – roles he filled at USC – I’d make that promise, too; anything to get Jackson’s named signed on the dotted line.
Why? Well, I’m glad you asked.
While Jackson doesn’t have the prototypical build of a Seattle Seahawks man-press cornerback, he’s a twitchy, fast, playmaking cornerback with the ball skills of a wide receiver and the lateral quickness of a punt returner – because, duh. Jackson has forced eight fumbles, picked off eight passes, and defensed 53 more between his time in Tennessee and at USC and even logged 12 offensive snaps with the Titans as a rookie, earning 55 yards on five rushing attempts as a gadget guy.
Had Jackson not missed 18 games over the last two seasons due to a foot and then knee injury, we may not even be talking about the potential of the Eagles securing his rights on the free agent market, but Tennessee’s loss is potentially Philly’s gain, and even if he’s a tad undersized for the scheme many assume Jonathan Gannon plans to bring over from Indianapolis, at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, Jackson makes up for that with good vision, solid fundamentals, and 4.42 speed.
Sidebar II: Are we sure Gannon actually wants to utilize Matt Eberflus‘ system from the Colts, or could the Eagles’ coverage look more like that of the Minnesota Vikings, where the Birds’ new DC initially cut his teeth? Worth monitoring, to be sure.
Next. The Philadelphia Eagles are the only team in the NFC East without a true WR1. dark
There’s no doubt about it; this isn’t going to be easy. There’s a chance Adoree’ Jackson is cheesing it up in an NYG hat before the end of the workday, and the Philadelphia Eagles will surely kick themselves if the 25-year-old becomes the player many projected out of USC four years ago. But if he actually does make the trip down I-95, hopefully with a stop at Slaters Deli for a top-notch Taylor Ham, egg, and cheese, Howie Roseman has to do whatever he can to make sure he closes on the deal, as Jackson could easily form the best cornerback tandem the Eagles has fielded in a decade if paired up with Darius Slay.